[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 96 (Tuesday, June 16, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H4386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REBUILDING OUR NATION'S INFRASTRUCTURE
(Mr. KILDEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, it is long past time for Congress to come
together and pass a bold, bipartisan plan to rebuild our Nation's
infrastructure.
Right now, China is spending 10 times as a percentage of GDP what we
are on infrastructure. They are making huge investments in roads,
bridges, ports, and rail. Meanwhile, Congress has simply not acted to
put us on a competitive path in this global economy.
Now, a lot of debate has occurred here in the last weeks and days
about our position in global trade, and we should have a trade deal
that protects American jobs.
Meanwhile, what are we doing about China outspending us on
infrastructure, which makes us less competitive? How are we supposed to
compete with them when we haven't done anything to deal with our
crumbling roads and bridges that are essential to making our
manufacturers competitive in delivering their products to market?
It is time for bold action, big action on infrastructure, like the
development of a national infrastructure bank that would leverage
public capital with private capital to rebuild our crumbling roads and
bridges.
Mr. Speaker, it is long past time for action. There is bipartisan
support for this. We need to bring a big infrastructure bill to the
floor of the House.
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